


Having Kittens

by shadowmaat



Series: Happy Tooka Cafe AU [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, M/M, tooka cafes should be a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 11:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14999945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowmaat/pseuds/shadowmaat
Summary: My best fiendSLWalkercame up with a wonderful/terribleTCW Plot Generatorand one of the options I got was "Maul is a tooka rescuer" and that set me off. So have Maul as a tooka rescuer and Obi-Wan is an undiscovered Force-sensitive who wants to open a caf shop. Also, all the kittens!





	1. Chapter 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled as he handed a quadruple-shot supernova mocha to a bleary-eyed besalisk and wished him a good night. The besalisk growled, tossing a handful of credits on the counter and cradling the drink in one set of hands as he exited through the door fellow barista Jazmyn Del was holding open for him.

“There’s something wrong with you,” Jaz said, flipping the sign to ‘Closed’ and locking the door. “You know that, right?”

“Just because I happen to get along with people doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with me,” Obi-Wan said, counting out the rest of the tip jar to split.

“Getting along with people, huh? Like that human senator this afternoon who wanted you tried for treason for getting her order wrong?” The bangles on the ends of her _ahweys_ rattled as the Nautolan shook her head.

“Ahh, but you’ll notice she dropped the charges and left with a smile.” He handed her her cut.

“Only because you flirted shamelessly and gave her a free muffin.”

Obi-Wan huffed. “I did not flirt!”

“Oh, Madame Senator, my deepest apologies for the error,” Jaz said, her Coruscanti accent terrible and her voice far higher than Obi-Wan’s ever got. “I was simply so flustered to meet one of the signers of the Aleen Accord that I forgot what I was doing!” Her hand fluttered in the air.

Obi-Wan felt his ears burn. “I- Well, I certainly didn’t say it like that!”

Jaz laughed. “Face it, Obi-Wan, you flirt as easily as some people breathe air.” She gave him a quick hug. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing! I always make more tips when I work with you.”

He had no idea how to respond to that, so he decided to ignore it. “She really was a signer of the Accord, you know.”

“Oh, I’m sure she was, Mr. Holo-pedia. Have fun closing tonight!” She grabbed her bag and headed out, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

It had been a fairly slow night, so they’d already managed to get through most of the tasks, but he finished the rest of them on autopilot, daydreaming about the day he’d have a caf shop of his own.

His coworkers thought he was crazy. Even the shop’s owner regarded him with pity whenever the topic came up, but Obi-Wan really loved helping people and giving them what they needed, even if it was only a Javarican espresso and bilaberry muffin. He had a sixth sense about it and sometimes knew what customers would order. Or at least what would best suit them, which wasn’t always the same thing.

He’d just finished counting out the tills when someone knocked on the door.

“Sorry! Closed!” He glanced up on reflex and saw an strikingly-colored zabrak huddled in the doorway. “Try back tomorrow,” he added, feeling a tingle of premonition. He hoped this wasn’t going to mean trouble.

“Please,” the zabrak shouted. “Help!”

That’s when Obi-Wan noticed the squirming bundle in his arms. He was already moving to unlock the door before his mind registered “tooka kits.”

“Thank you,” the zabrak said, slipping through the door as if he expected Obi-Wan to change his mind. “I do apologize for bothering you, but I wasn’t sure if the kittens would make it back to the shelter!”

Obi-Wan found himself taking three tiny furry bundles from the stranger, who was holding four more. They were far too thin and moved sluggishly, but their squeaks were loud and piercing.

“I’m not sure what I can do to help,” he said, cradling the kittens close to his chest.

“Do you have any traladon milk?” Wide golden eyes peered out from a red and black-marked face.

“I- yes, of course,” he said, heading for the fridge behind the counter. Traladon milk was a staple for some of their more common drinks. Very fatty and full of nutrients; just what a starving kitten might need.

“If you could warm some up, I believe I have a set of bulbs in my pocket.” The stranger tried fumbling at his coat with one hand while the kittens wriggled in his other arm.

“Here, let me help.” Obi-Wan grabbed a fresh apron and formed it into a nest on the recently-cleaned counter, depositing his kittens and then adding the stranger’s before he turned to fire up the duatto machine to heat a pan of milk.

“Thank you,” the zabrak said, pulling a handful of rubber feeding bulbs from his pocket. “I should probably introduce myself. I’m Maul Oppress, from Happy Tooka Rescue.”

The bulbs, Obi-Wan noticed, did indeed have a smiling tooka printed on them with the company’s name. That still wasn’t as surprising as the person holding them.

“Maul Oppress?” He raised an eyebrow.

Maul glanced up and smiled. It was... it was a very impressive smile.

“I know,” he said.

For a distracted second Obi-Wan was afraid he’d heard his thoughts.

“If you think my name is bad, wait until you meet my brothers, Savage and Feral.”

Obi-Wan blinked, then realized he was staring.

“Uh, yes,” he said, busying himself with the pan of milk. “That sounds like a fascinating story. Oh! My name is Obi-Wan. Kenobi.”

If Jaz had been there she’d have laughed at seeing him so graceless. He had never been more grateful for her absence.

Maul checked on the kittens and then checked the temperature of the milk, rattling off the story of how he’d found them under the dumpster of a nearby noodle shop with no mother in sight. Obi-Wan helped fill bulbs and then found himself helping to feed the tiny tookas, too. It woke something in him; a burning need to protect these lives at all costs.

The first one he fed, who probably wound up with more milk on her than in her, had striped purple ears and refused to be put down, clawing her way up his shoulder to squeal in his ear.

“She’ll fall asleep soon enough,” Maul told him. “Let’s get her sisters and brothers fed first.”

It was a messy, trying process, but they finally got through it. Maul called in to the rescue facility and told them where he was and what had happened. Judging by the tone of the conversation and the hushed argument that followed, Obi-Wan guessed he was speaking to one of his brothers.

Purple Stripes nuzzled his neck and he managed to get her unhooked from his shirt and back into the makeshift nest by the time Maul clicked off his call.

“Savage is on his way,” he said, keeping his eyes downcast. “I apologize in advance for anything he says and if he tries to recruit you, just say no.”

“Recruit me?” Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed, his fingers continuing to scratch the head of an orange-spotted kitten.

Maul glanced up, his gaze rooting him to the spot as his heart pounded.

“The shelter is perpetually understaffed,” Maul said, moving closer to check on the kittens. Obi-Wan struggled to move out of the way, but their arms still brushed.

“We’re always looking for people willing to help.”

Was it his imagination or was Maul’s voice getting huskier?

“A warm heart in a cold world,” he murmured.

It sounded like a quote. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if he was meant to hear it, but he certainly felt warmer as a result.

“I… Yes, well, I’m always willing to lend a hand to those in need,” he said.

Maul smiled at him and started to take off his shirt. Obi-Wan stopped breathing. It took him several moments to realize that all Maul was doing was creating a pouch for the kittens.

“They’re too cold,” he explained, tucking the lethargic tookas against him as Obi-Wan did his best to ignore the black stripes on his exposed belly that curved gently downward. “Savage has a warmer in the air van, but until he gets here I’ll have to do it the old fashioned way.”

Obi-Wan tried to think of something intelligent to say. Maybe offer to help. Maul, however, continued to talk.

“Being half-zabrak I run a little warmer than your average human.”

And then he waggled his brow markings. Obi-Wan’s mind blanked.

“Would you like something to eat?” he found himself saying. “The muffins and pastries are destined for the day-old bin, so I’m sure no one will miss one.”

Maul’s eyes seemed to glow in the dim after-hours lighting of the cafe. “I would hate to bother you. Or bother you more after you’ve done so much.”

A loud gurgle interrupted him that definitely didn’t come from one of the kittens. He winced.

“It isn’t a problem, really.” Obi-Wan smiled. “Help yourself. And while I’m afraid I can’t offer you any caf, there’s cold water. Or milk,” he teased.

“Thank you,” Maul said, carefully making his way over to the tray of leftovers, grabbing a somewhat flattened buttersweet puff. “I’m afraid I skipped dinner. It’s been a long night.”

The hum of pleasure he made at the first bite did funny things to Obi-Wan’s stomach. With some effort he managed to keep his mouth shut and not invite the attractive kitten-wielding half-zabrak out to a real meal.

“Do you think they’ll be alright?” he asked instead.

“I don’t know.” Maul licked crumbs off his fingers and poked at the lumps in his shirt. “Some of them might just need a good bath and regular feeding, but I don’t like the looks of the lavender one.” Catching his expression he shook his head. “The _pale_ lavender one I mean. He’s more marbled than the one you were handling and looks to be the runt of the litter.”

“Ah,” Obi-Wan said. Why was he having so much trouble carrying on a simple conversation? “You know, if you like I can-”

A knock interrupted them. They looked over to see a tall yellow-toned zabrak standing at the door, carrying a crate.

“Savage!” Maul hurried towards him and Obi-Wan followed, suddenly aware that it was well past closing time and he was letting two absolute strangers into the cafe with him. Not that he felt he was in any danger, but Gommosa would likely pulls his arms off if he found out. He still unlocked the door to let the other zabrak (half-zabrak?) in.

“Brother, what have you done now?” Savage put the box down and immediately bent to inspect the kittens, listening as Maul explained how he’d found them and what he’d done afterwards and interjecting with a lot of pointed questions. Obi-Wan stood to one side, feeling awkward.

“Alright, you get the orphans settled in the warmer and I’ll deal with the human.”

“His name is Obi-Wan,” Maul said, kneeling to open the box and begin depositing the kittens.

“So you’ve mentioned,” Savage said, turning to face Obi-Wan with a grin. “Several times.”

Obi-Wan straightened, trying to compose his best Customer Service Face as he stuck out his hand.

“Hello! You must be Savage, Maul’s-”

“Brother, yes.” Savage inspected Obi-Wan’s hand before accepting it. His grip wasn’t crushing, but it was, perhaps, a little stronger than necessary. “And you are Obi-Wan Kenobi, the savior of tooka-kind.”

Maul made a strangled noise from the floor. “I didn’t say it like that!”

“I don’t know about being a savior,” Obi-Wan said, casually wiping his palms on his slacks as they began to sweat. “But I was happy to help M- ah, your- your brother when he showed up with kittens needing help.”

“How _warm-hearted_ of you,” Savage said.

“Savage!” Maul hissed, lunging up to grab his brother’s arm. “Leave him alone!”

Savage laughed, “What? I’m just looking out for my baby brother!”

“I’m not a baby,” Maul said, glancing at Obi-Wan. “Feral is!”

“And Feral is currently retrieving the swoop bike that _someone_ left illegally parked two streets over.”

“I feel I might be interrupting something,” Obi-Wan said, deciding to state the obvious.

“Nonsense!” Savage clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t mind me, I’m just happy to see that Maul has found someone-”

“Brother!” Maul tightened his grip on the yellow-and-brown arm.

“-so willing to help him with such an important matter,” Savage finished with a dazzling smile. “Thank you for your help, Obi-Wan, and since I’m sure my brother hasn’t thought to do it, here.” He held out a card.

It was a business card for the Happy Tooka Rescue, including a comm number and address several levels down.

“We really need to get the kittens into emergency care, but if you’d like to check up on him- I mean them,” he corrected, “then you’re welcome to give us a call or stop by.”

Maul had buried his face in his hands. Obi-Wan could feel heat creeping into his cheeks.

“Thank you,” he said. “I, ah, hope they all do well and can find loving homes.”

For some reason that made Savage’s grin broaden. “We’ll see,” he said. “Come on, Little Maul, let’s get the kits back and pampered and checked.” He bent to pick up the box of sleeping kittens. Maul used the opportunity to step closer to Obi-Wan.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “My brother is an idiot. But I do thank you for your help tonight.” He looked Obi-Wan in the eye, “You’ve saved lives tonight; I’m sure of it.”

“I’d say we both did.” Smiling, he reached out to take one of Maul’s hands in both of his own. “You’re doing good work, Maul. I’m glad I could help.”

The moment seemed to stretch. He could feel a tingling in the back of his mind, almost as if… as if…

“Stop flirting and get your butt in gear!” Savage called.

They leaped apart.

“I wasn’t flirting,” they said in unison.

Obi-Wan reached up to swipe a hand over his now-burning face, feeling the soft fuzz along his jaw. Maul ducked his head, scratching at one of his temple horns.

“Thank you again,” Maul muttered. “I’ll- if you call in the morning we should know more about their condition.”

“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll- I’ll do that,” he said. “Wait! Here!” He dug into his pocket, pulling out his take of the tips, and handed it over to Maul, who stared at the credits, then him. “To help with the shelter.” He smiled. “Goodnight, Maul. And… good luck.”

“Goodnight, Obi-Wan.” Maul hesitated, then turned to follow his brother out the door.

Obi-Wan watched as they put the box into a van parked outside (illegally) and climbed in. It may have been his imagination, but it felt like Maul’s eyes met his one last time before they drove away.

Taking a deep breath he turned and surveyed the cafe. The apron was still lumped on the counter and grimy bootprints tracked back and forth over the floor. There were spatters of milk here and there, plus the carton itself still sitting out. It was going to take a while to clean it all up. And, he realized, he was also due in for opening shift in the morning. Sighing, he got to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning dawned far too early and found Obi-Wan already at work, blurry with exhaustion and having a bad time with everything. He got his orders right, at least, not that anyone seemed to appreciate it. And the equipment seemed to be acting up more than usual, too. Gommosa didn’t call him into the office to yell, so he assumed that his nocturnal activities hadn’t been discovered. Yet. So he kept fighting with the machinery, making drinks, handing them over, and saying the usual polite corporate phrases and then repeating the process.

“Thanks and have a Starshiny Day,” he said, holding out a double-shot neutron vanilla caf.

“Obi-Wan?”

He blinked, focusing on a familiar face, currently frowning at him.

“Oh. Senator Or-” He broke off, stifling a yawn. “Senator Organa, my apologies. Good morning.”

“Late night?” The Alderaanian senator smiled. “And I told you, call me Bail.”

“Yes, of course,” Obi-Wan said. “Sorry. I had a bit of a strange night. Lots of kittens.” He waved a hand, dismissing the incident. “I hope your day is going well.”

“Kittens?” Bail chuckled. “Now that sounds like a story I’d like to hear.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing really.” He glanced towards the register, hoping to see a line of customers, but for the moment Starshine’s appeared to be quiet. His coworkers were also giving him strange looks. Klim made a shooing gesture.

“Take a break, Kenobi,” xe said. “And maybe help yourself to a few shots of your own.”

“Oh, I’d hate to waste the Senator’s time,” he said.

“I doubt it will be wasted, Obi-Wan,” Bail said, “and it’s mostly a catch-up day for me so you’d be saving me from paperwork.”

Klim thrust a cup full of something that smelled of spices into his hand.

“Go,” xe said. “You’re worrying us.”

Obi-Wan sighed, swiping a hand down his face before giving in and ducking under the bar. “Very well. But I’m fine, I promise.”

“You’ve been acting like a faulty droid all morning,” Jenna said. “Enjoy the kriffing break. Uh, beg pardon, Senator,” she murmured.

“No apologies needed.” Bail rested a hand between his shoulders, steering him towards one of the small tables. “Now, why don’t you have a seat and tell me what happened to make one of my favorite baristas act like a… a faulty droid.”

There was a twinkle in his eye, but Obi-Wan was too tired to rise to the bait.

“It’s nothing, really,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. The sweet tang of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg hit his system and he took another, bigger sip before continuing. “There was an incident after closing last night. A zabrak showed up at the door with a litter of orphaned tooka kittens that needed feeding.”

Bail’s eyebrows shot up. “A whole litter?”

He nodded. “Seven of them. I helped him get some warm milk into them and then his, uh, brother showed up to… help, I guess.” He frowned, taking another swig of what he belatedly recognized as Klim’s Famous Hangover Brew. “They loaded up the kittens to rush back to their shelter.”

“They have a shelter?” Bail sipped his own caf. “So it wasn’t a random act of goodwill.”

“Yes? I mean I got the impression they do this sort of thing often,” he said. “It’s the Happy Tooka Rescue. They’re a few levels down from here and I, uh, kind of gave them my tips from last night.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what he’d been thinking. He didn’t regret it, exactly, but whatever tip money didn’t cover living expenses went straight into his caf shop fund.

“I see.”

Obi-Wan concentrated on his drink so he didn’t have to look at Bail.

“You know, Breha’s been thinking of adopting a tooka.”

He did look up at that. “Really? I mean, you’d probably be better off checking the shelters on Alderaan, or- or going to a breeder or something, but I’m sure Maul would be happy to show you around his shelter.”

“Maul?” Bail chuckled. “The person in charge of a tooka shelter is named _Maul?”_

Obi-Wan grinned for the first time that day. “And he has two brothers named Savage and Feral.”

Bail threw back his head and laughed. “I love them already. Maybe if I get some time I’ll stop by this Happy Tooka Rescue. Where did you say it was?”

Obi-Wan pulled out the card so Bail could copy the address to his datapad.

“If you’re thinking of getting a kitten there was a really nice one with purple striped ears,” he said.

“Purple stripes, hmm?” He shook his head. “No, I couldn’t possibly take your kitten.”

Obi-Wan almost inhaled his drink. “What? No! I- I couldn’t possibly care for a kitten by myself! Besides, when I open my cafe…” He trailed off as his mind started to whir.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’d think a tooka in a caf shop would be a welcome presence,” Bail said. “Curl up with a good book, a cup of caf, and maybe the resident tooka in your lap.”

Obi-Wan nodded, still trying to chase down his thoughts. “Ye-es. It’s a shame you couldn’t combine the two: tooka shelter and caf shop.”

“Hmm.” Bail tapped his chin. “You know on Alderaan we’ve had a few convor cafes open up. They’re not for adoption, of course, but just for the public to get a chance to meet convorees up close for a while.”

“A Happy Tooka Cafe,” Obi-Wan mused. “Come in for a caf and a tooka on your lap and maybe take one home with you.” He scoffed, shaking his head. “No, that sounds ridiculous.”

“I don’t know, Obi-Wan, you may be onto something there. Tookas are ridiculously popular in some areas.”

“And considered a pest in others,” he said, standing. “Anyway, it isn’t like I know Maul well enough to make any wild suggestions and even if I did I’m still years away from having enough funds for my own shop. Maybe even decades.” He sighed.

“It sounds like an interesting proposition to me,” Bail said, “but I’ll let you think about it.”

“He’d never… it wouldn’t work,” he said. “Thank you for letting me waste your time, Senator, but I think we should both get back to work.”

“I suppose, if I must.” Bail finished his drink and tossed it in the recycler. “It was nice chatting with you, Obi-Wan. I’ll see you again soon, I’m sure.”

“Have a good day, Senator.” Obi-Wan ducked back behind the counter as Bail left.

The talk did do him some good and he was a little more awake for the rest of his shift. As soon as it was over he was out the door and heading for the Happy Tooka Rescue. Just to check up on the kittens he’d helped save.

The shelter was on a somewhat disreputable level, but not quite low enough to be outright dangerous. The transparisteel window showed signs of cracks, but still held together and the Happy Tooka logo was a bright addition to an otherwise gray area. He walked in, causing a chime to peal, and was assailed with the sounds and smells of a number of tookas. A battered black and silver one was perched on the front desk, glaring at Obi-Wan through one eye.

“Hello?” he called when no one answered the chimes.

The door to the back area was open, so he approached it with caution.

“Hello? Maul? Are you here?” He winced at the sound of his own voice; what an idiot.

“Yes! Hello! Hi!”

Another brightly-colored zabrak, this one similar in appearance to Savage except much younger, popper out of another doorway. He was carrying a white-furred, blue-eyed tooka in his arms. The tooka was almost as big as he was.

“Sorry for the wait!” The zabrak youth beamed up at him. “Are you here to adopt?”

“I, ah, actually I was here to check on the kittens brought in last night?”

The young zabrak, whom he guessed had to be Feral, gaped at him, dropping the tooka, qho llanded with practiced ease and sauntered past Obi-Wan, brushing against his leg as it went.

“You!” Feral said.

“Me?” Obi-Wan wondered what he’d missed this time.

“You’re the one!”

Before he could ask what he meant, Feral and turned and charged down the hall.

“MAAAAUUUULLLL! HE’S HEEEEERE!”

Obi-Wan winced at the volume, but froze as the door in the back opened to reveal Maul, cradling the purple-striped kitten against his chest as he fed her from a bottle.

“Feral,” Maul said. “What have I told you about shouting in…” He trailed off, catching sight of Obi-Wan.

“Uh, hi.” In spite of his best efforts, he couldn’t help a small wave. “I just thought I’d drop in and see how the kittens were doing?”

Feral had grabbed a fistful of his brother’s shirt and was staring at him. So was Maul, although at least he didn’t drop the kitten.

“Is this a bad time? I can come back.”

“No!” Feral shouted, yanking on Maul’s shirt.

“No,” Maul said, pulling free and heading towards him. “No, now is a great time. I was just finishing the last of the feedings.”

“Oh, good.” Obi-Wan reached out, running one finger over the kitten’s oversized ear. “I see Purple Stripes is doing well, at least.”

“Purple Stripes?” Maul smiled. “I’m sure you can do better than that.”

“Yes, well, uh…”

“I’m afraid the little runt didn’t make it,” Maul said, sobering. “He was too far gone even before I found him.”

“Oh, no.” Obi-Wan’s heart sank. “I’m so sorry.”

“That’s the only one we’ve lost so far. The others appear to be in good shape, although, hm, _Orange Spots_ , I suppose, has a respiratory infection and Orange Stripes has a problem with her eyes. Both should be fine with a bit of medicine, which we can now afford, thanks to you.

“Thanks to me?” Obi-Wan frowned. “Unless the medication is incredibly cheap I couldn’t have given you enough to cover it. I’m sorry.”

Maul laughed, and the sound made his heart flip.

“No. I mean, yes, we did appreciate your donation last night, but I was referring to the anonymous donation we received this morning.” His smile was wide and his eyes were bright. “Someone gave us over _ten thousand_ credits and a suggestion to talk to you about something called a tooka cafe?

He felt his mouth fall open and struggled to close it again. Bail Organa. It had to be Bail, but why?

“I, uh…”

“For ten thousand credits you can dress up all the tookas and serve them elite tea, if you want. That will buy us a lot of medicine. And equipment. And maybe even better facilities.”

Obi-Wan laughed. “No, that isn’t-”

“There he is!”

He felt himself grabbed from behind in a rib-cracking hug.

“See, Little Brother?” Savage crowed. “I told you he was the one!”

Obi-Wan wheezed as Savage planted a smacking kiss on his cheek and released him.

“I, uh… the one what?”

“Nothing,” Maul said quickly. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s part of a prophecy from Dathomir,” Savage said, ignoring the poisonous look his brother gave him. “About someone who would lift us up and help us realize our dreams.”

Dathomir. He wondered if that would explain the wild coloration of the brothers.

“...A warm heart in a cold world,” he said, remembering Maul’s odd comment from the previous night.

“Exactly!” Savage gave his shoulder a friendly bump. “And now here you are, helping us.”

He shook his head. “Look, I’m hardly the one who deserves the credit for your good fortune. I’m glad I could play a part in it, but-”

“Oh, there’s more!” Feral peered from behind Maul’s back. “There’s also the part where you and-”

“Here!” Maul shoved the squirming kitten in Feral’s face. “Take her back with the others!”

“Okay,” Feral said, gingerly accepting both kitten and bottle. “But-”

“Now!”

“Fiiiine.” Rolling his eyes, Feral headed to the back room.

Savage laughed. “You can’t avoid fate forever, Brother. But come!” He gestured towards the room where Feral had first appeared. “Let’s go into my office and you can tell us all about this cafe for tookas!”

He put one hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder and the other on Maul’s, pushing them ahead of him.

“No, it isn’t a cafe _for_ tookas,” Obi-Wan said as he was pressed against Maul’s side. “It- it, uh, is more a cafe where people can _meet_ tookas. For adoption.”

He hadn’t prepared for this. He hadn’t prepared for any of this. But over the next hour he found himself explaining his idea to Savage and Maul (and eventually Feral, too). They seemed fascinated and started bouncing ideas back and forth. Obi-Wan was loathe to infringe on their enthusiasm, which was probably part of the reason Bail had set him up this way.

One hour then turned into two and then turned into most of the afternoon. Feral was sent out to bring back food for them all. Obi-Wan, who was seated on a worn leather couch next to Maul, let the conversation roll over him and felt his eyes starting to droop.

He awoke later to find himself pressed against a warm surface. Maul’s chest rose and fell under his ear and he could hear the sound of two hearts beating a slow, content rhythm. They were still on the couch and someone- he suspected Savage- had draped a blanket over them. He knew he should be more upset about this and maybe when he was more awake he would be, but for now he closed his eyes and listened to Maul’s hearts. His dream was finally within his reach and it was coming with some extra benefits he never would have thought to imagine. He reached up, curling his fingers into the milk-damp fabric of Maul’s shirt and drifted back to sleep.


End file.
